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Demand up, supplies down, food banks face crisis
Low-income residents in Fauquier are not the only ones worrying about where their next meal will come from. With food bank donations at a low ebb and the number of "food insecure" growing, many of the county's and country's food banks are struggling to keep their pantries stocked.Last year, the Haven Emergency Shelter in Warrenton benefited from only four locally sponsored holiday food drives, as compared to 10 in 2006.
"We usually don't have enough room to store all of the food we receive over the holiday," said Rick Avery, program coordinator for Haven. "This year [2007], the shelves aren't even full."
Despite a dip in food donations last year, the shelter served approximately 1,400 people, a 21.3 percent jump from 2006.
Local churches, such as Faith Christian Church in Warrenton, also experienced a drop in food drives last year.
"Normally, we'd get [grocery] stores to volunteer to do food drives, but we're not benefiting from that this year [2007]," said Pastor John Moore of Faith Christian Church, which opens its food bank every Monday and Wednesday.
Federal cutbacks in food assistance to food bank networks has been even more detrimental than the decline in contributions.
The Blue Ridge Area Food Bank (BRAFB) distributes food to member agencies in 25 counties through its area branches, serving 39,000 people. Twenty-five percent of its food comes from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Until recently, member agencies relied on United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) food from BRAFB, which they received free of charge. But not anymore.
Since 2005, the federal government has cut food donations provided by USDA through the Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) by more than 70 percent due to the growing demand for agricultural products and the steady rise in food prices.
According to the USDA's analysis of consumer food prices, the U.S. is facing an annual 4.2 percent inflation in food costs, the highest rate since 1990, and twice the rate of overall inflation.
In 2004, BRAFB received more than 4 million pounds of USDA commodities. That number dropped to just over one million pounds in 2006, then fell again to 570,000 pounds in 2007.
Pastor Moore, who collects food from BRAFB's Lord Fairfax Area Branch twice a month, said BRAFB has run out of USDA food the past three months. Subsequently, member agencies, including Faith Christian Church, are buying non-USDA food from BRAFB for six cents a pound.
But it's low-income residents and the poor who are paying the heaviest price for the rising cost of food.
Between July 2006 and November 2007, food distribution in the Lord Fairfax area grew by 32 percent. "After they've paid all of their bills, they don't have much left for food," said Ruth Jones, public relations officer for BRAFB.
Most of those lining up at food banks have little in their pocket to begin with. America's Second Harvest reported that nearly 70 percent of clients seeking emergency food assistance are living below the federal poverty line.
The U.S. Census Bureau reported 3,741 people in Fauquier, 5.8 percent of the population, living below the poverty line in 2004. One-thousand and seventeen of those were children.
In previous years, Haven gave surplus food to families moving out of the shelter and into their own homes. "That way, they didn't have to spend their savings on stocking their new house with food," Avery said.
However, disappearing food donations are now forcing some Haven residents to spend their income on food, instead of housing.
Which is why food banks are turning their hopes to the strong nutrition component in this year's Farm Bill.
The Senate approved its version of the bill in December. It allots more than $5 billion in new investments in federal nutrition programs over the next five years. The bill provides an additional $110 million a year over current funding levels for TEFAP, equivalent to about 215 million pounds of additional commodities for emergency feeding organizations, or 168 million more meals each year.
The bill would also adjust the stipends for food stamps, which now gives the average individual only $21 a week, or $1 a meal.
The House passed its version of the Farm Bill in late July. A conference committee is expected to assemble this month to resolve differences between the House and Senate versions of the bill.
In the meantime, food bank organizers such as the Fauquier County Food Distribution Coalition — a network of county government services, community non-profits, and churches — are stretching their pockets and taking extra strides to obtain food.
Volunteers for the coalition have been handing out fliers in front of grocery stores asking shoppers to buy and donate non-perishable goods. The coalition also purchases gift cards each month, which they distribute if their shelves are emptied.
Food pantries typically receive an excess of carbohydrates, and are in especially dire need of foods with greater nutritional value, especially protein in the form of canned tuna and salmon, beans and peanut butter. Canned fruits and vegetables are also welcome.
Donations can be made to:
Faith Christian Church, (540) 349-0179, accepts food donations on Monday and Wednesday between 12:30 and 2:30.
Haven accepts food any day of the week from 8:30 to 4:30.
Fauquier County Food Coalition, (540) 341-7950 ext. 16, or www.fauquierfood.org , accepts food any weekday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Warrenton United Methodist Church.
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